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: spell · arm · foot · roll · date · bear · rash · plane

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — a measure
  3. spell — magic
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rash — a series
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — letters
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. roll — a list
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bear — the animal
  24. roll — a cake

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