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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lean — thin
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lean — to bend
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ground — crushed

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