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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. scale — in music
  5. pop — soda
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kid — to tease
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pop — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — to visit
  23. kid — child
  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