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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — a position
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ground — crushed
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. face — to confront
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — the earth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. dip — to sink

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