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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cell — in biology
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lash — an eyelash

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