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: arm · leaves · bass · cell · spell · shower · file · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. shower — rain
  12. file — a line of people
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cell — a phone
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. file — a document
  19. shower — to wash
  20. file — a tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — help
  24. spell — magic

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