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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — a container
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cell — in biology
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lean — thin

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