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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. race — a contest
  3. face — to confront
  4. snap — to click
  5. race — humankind
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. kid — child
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chest — a box
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bay — a horse colour

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