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 120 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: degree · foot · hand · face · rash · wax · arm · suit

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — clothes
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — to grow
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — to fit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rash — a series
  17. face — to confront
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. degree — temperature
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rash — on the skin

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