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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chest — a box
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — a series
  24. pass — to spend time

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