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: pitch · spring · cabinet · deal · wax · object · drill · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — a thing
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. object — an aim
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. drill — army training
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. drill — the tool
  24. deal — to handle

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