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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — from a university
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. degree — temperature
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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