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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stem — to come from
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wind — moving air

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