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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. suit — to fit
  3. press — to push
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — a stick
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — in cards
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. staff — employees
  15. deal — to handle
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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