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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — part of the head
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. last — final
  7. present — a gift
  8. pop — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — thin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. last — to go on
  14. present — there
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — soda
  17. face — to confront
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. lean — to bend
  21. last — finally
  22. pop — to visit
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lean — to rest against

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