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: arm · lie · jam · drill · capital · chip · fan · date

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — a practice
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — to recline
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. capital — money
  21. chip — to eat
  22. drill — the tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. capital — a city

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