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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. press — to push
  5. mark — a grade
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. press — a publisher
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — a tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. vault — a safe
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. press — newspapers
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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