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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. degree — an amount
  5. net — in sport
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mug — to rob
  8. degree — from a university
  9. board — a committee
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — for catching
  12. mug — a cup
  13. degree — temperature
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — a face
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — after costs
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. prune — the fruit

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