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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. file — a document
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hand — in cards
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — for pool
  19. spring — the season
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — certain
  22. file — a line of people
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — 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