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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kid — child
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fork — in a road
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. staff — a stick
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — to get on
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — employees

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