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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — the season
  12. stand — to bear
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mine — for digging
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a music group
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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