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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. swing — in golf
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. game — a match
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. root — of a word
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. spell — magic
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. root — the cause
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. root — of a plant
  19. press — to push
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. swing — music
  23. press — a publisher
  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