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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. row — a line
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a face
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mug — to rob
  8. row — to paddle
  9. content — happy
  10. chest — a box
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — the amount
  22. chest — of your body
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mug — a cup

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