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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. current — of water
  3. cold — not warm
  4. current — happening now
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cold — an illness
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mouse — the animal

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