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 120 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: trunk · arm · saw · net · dip · fall · mark · kid

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — the season
  7. kid — child
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. net — for catching
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — a grade
  12. net — after costs
  13. kid — to tease
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. net — in sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — a trace
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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