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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — rain
  7. tube — the underground
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. march — music
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — a position
  17. suit — in cards
  18. shower — to wash
  19. scale — size or range
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. suit — to fit
  24. arm — a part of something

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