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: racket · chair · arm · degree · rash · foot · wind · bay

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. degree — from a university
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — a series
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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