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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bat — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. hand — help
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. deal — to handle
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. track — a path
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. track — a song
  21. plane — a tool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mate — a partner

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