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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. spring — of water
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — steady
  6. spring — the season
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. firm — decided
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hand — help
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. arm — a part of something

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