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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bat — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — a box
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bark — to shout

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