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: court · arm · chair · safe · branch · dip · chest · game

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chest — a box
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — for sport
  12. chair — a leader
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — a match
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. branch — a division
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. court — of law
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. court — of a king
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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