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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — a break
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — a part of something

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