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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. swing — to play on
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chip — to eat
  11. swing — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ground — the earth
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — to go on
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. last — finally
  24. foot — 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