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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stock — shares
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rest — what's left
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rest — a break
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. stock — goods
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. game — a match
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. plane — an aircraft

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