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: mate · file · pitch · chest · nail · season · deal · arm

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chest — a box
  5. season — of the year
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mate — a friend
  10. season — in sport
  11. file — a tool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mate — a partner
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. file — a document
  24. chest — of your body

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