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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cell — in biology
  4. land — a country
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ball — a great time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. land — to come down
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. snap — to click
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cell — a phone
  24. land — ground

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