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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — a path
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kid — child
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — a list
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — to tease
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. plane — a tool

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