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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. charge — a price
  7. capital — a city
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stock — shares
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — to come down
  13. stock — goods
  14. land — a country
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. land — ground
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. craft — boats

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