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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. capital — money
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — an aim
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. object — to protest
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — a series
  21. object — a thing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. prune — to trim

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