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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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 — to come down
  3. lean — to bend
  4. land — ground
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rest — a break
  9. scale — in music
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — a country
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. court — of a king
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. court — of law
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lean — thin

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