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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mark — a trace
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mark — a grade
  8. content — happy
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rash — a series
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — the amount
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — a stem cell

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