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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — a friend
  5. field — farmland
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — to wash
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. present — a gift
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. field — a subject
  18. chair — a leader
  19. present — the time now
  20. shower — rain
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. field — for sport

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