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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — completely
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stock — goods
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chip — to eat
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — shares
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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