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: lie · pit · chip · arm · ground · wound · court · suit

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — of a king
  13. pit — in a race
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pit — a hole
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. court — for sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — of law
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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