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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. shower — to wash
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. object — a thing
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. shower — rain
  13. object — to protest
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. band — a ring
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rush — hurry
  24. object — an aim

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