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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. content — happy
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — the amount
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rash — a series

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