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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. band — a ring
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. content — the amount
  15. race — a contest
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. race — humankind
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. content — happy
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ball — a great time

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