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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — a series
  4. chest — of your body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — for pool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pop — music
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pop — soda
  21. cue — a signal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bank — of a river

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