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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rush — hurry
  3. face — part of the head
  4. chair — a leader
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. shower — rain
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. shower — to wash
  21. face — to confront
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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