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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. squash — the sport
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mark — a trace
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a great time

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