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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. band — a music group
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. content — the amount
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. band — a ring
  22. bound — certain
  23. rest — a break
  24. content — happy

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