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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — the fish
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rest — a break
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. shower — rain
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. game — a match
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to confront
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — low music

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