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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pit — in a race
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cold — an illness
  9. firm — decided
  10. cue — a hint
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. firm — a company
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cue — for pool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. firm — steady
  23. row — a line
  24. wax — in the ear

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