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 · rock · chair · bound · wound · dip · mate · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bound — certain
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mate — a partner
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rock — music
  20. bound — obliged
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — ministers

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