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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. tube — a container
  24. cap — a hat

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