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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chair — a leader
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — wild animals
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fall — the season
  13. rash — hasty
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — a hole
  24. game — a match

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