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: chest · file · arm · fall · ruler · ground · mine · face

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. ground — a position
  3. file — a tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ground — crushed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mine — for digging
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ground — the earth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fall — the season
  22. file — a document
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — an explosive

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