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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chest — a box
  4. mate — to breed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — a friend
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. bat — the animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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