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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · arm · mark · suit · game · chair · spring · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — wild animals
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — of water
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — the season
  7. suit — clothes
  8. game — a match
  9. suit — to fit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mark — a trace
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kid — child
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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