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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ground — a position
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitch — completely
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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