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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. club — a group
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. chest — a box
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pitch — completely
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. club — for golf
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fan — a supporter

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