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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. key — for a lock
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — a leader
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — the most important part
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. chest — of your body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. key — in music
  24. chest — a box

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