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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rest — a break
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — a division
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pound — for dogs

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