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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. degree — temperature
  3. foot — a measure
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. club — a group
  6. staff — a stick
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. game — a match
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — for dancing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. game — wild animals
  24. club — for golf

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