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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rest — a break
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — ground
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. land — a country
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — letters
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. spell — magic
  19. bark — to shout
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — to come down
  24. game — a match

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