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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. race — humankind
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. race — a contest
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. present — the time now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bear — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bark — of a tree

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