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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. press — to push
  7. rash — a series
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. game — a match
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chest — of your body

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