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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — for catching
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chair — a leader
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. file — a tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stock — shares
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stock — goods
  17. chest — a box
  18. net — after costs
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — in sport
  23. chest — of your body
  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