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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. vault — a safe
  7. snap — to click
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — a publisher
  12. game — a match
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. game — wild animals
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wax — to grow
  17. press — newspapers
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. press — to push
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. arm — 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