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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. spring — the season
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — a company
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. court — for sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. firm — decided
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. spring — a coil
  17. court — of law
  18. chest — of your body
  19. spring — of water
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. snap — to click
  24. sharp — with an edge

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