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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. land — ground
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitch — completely
  7. land — to come down
  8. rash — hasty
  9. plane — a tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. arm — part of the body

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