ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. scale — in music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bound — certain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com