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: rush · chest · hand · field · ground · club · arm · kick

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. kick — in football
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. field — farmland
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — a subject
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hand — help
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. field — for sport
  24. ground — a position

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