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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — of a plant
  15. suit — in cards
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. file — a document
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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