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: hand · bowl · patient · can · chest · arm · mine · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mine — for digging
  22. hand — help
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. patient — a sick person

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