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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. field — farmland
  3. bound — obliged
  4. field — for sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. field — a subject
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bound — tied together
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — newspapers
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. press — a publisher
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bound — certain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. press — to push

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