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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chest — a box
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. clip — a video
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of a king
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. court — of law
  15. clip — for paper
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kick — in football
  20. tube — a container
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. clip — to cut
  23. court — for sport
  24. kick — a thrill

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