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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pop — soda
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. sharp — clever
  7. degree — temperature
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mate — to breed
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pop — to visit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. degree — from a university
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pop — music

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