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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chair — a leader
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stock — goods
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. board — a committee
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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