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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rest — a break
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bank — of a river

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