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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. tube — the underground
  17. swing — music
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — completely
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitch — a sports field

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