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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — the season
  3. cue — a hint
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chip — to eat
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. shower — rain
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bound — certain
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — of water
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chip — in a computer

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