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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. hand — help
  8. tube — the underground
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. stock — shares
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stock — a soup base

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