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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cue — a hint
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitch — completely
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. snap — to click
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cue — a signal

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