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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. season — of the year
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chest — a box
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mug — a cup
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. scale — size or range
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mug — a face
  19. pound — a weight
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — in music
  23. season — in sport
  24. bank — of a river

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