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: content · face · arm · cap · bound · lie · net · rash

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. content — happy
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rash — a series
  14. content — the amount
  15. bound — tied together
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. face — to confront
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rash — hasty
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — part of the head

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