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: net · chest · jam · arm · race · pass · pound · mouse

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pound — a weight
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. race — the arms race
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. net — in sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. chest — a box

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