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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — in cards
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rest — a break
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — newspapers

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