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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. press — to push
  3. stand — to bear
  4. race — humankind
  5. capital — money
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. season — of the year
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — a price
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. charge — electricity
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pit — a hole
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — a contest
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. charge — in control
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. race — the arms race
  22. season — in sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. arm — a part of something

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