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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hand — help
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fine — high quality
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. content — happy
  14. hand — in cards
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bear — the animal

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