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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. season — of the year
  3. cue — a hint
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. drill — army training
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. season — in sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cell — in biology
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cell — a phone
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chest — a box
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pass — to spend time

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