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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cell — in biology
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pit — a hole
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pop — music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cell — a phone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pop — soda
  24. drill — army training

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