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: firm · lash · arm · board · content · chest · prune · club

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chest — a box
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chest — of your body
  11. firm — steady
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — of your body
  17. firm — decided
  18. content — happy
  19. firm — a company
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. content — the amount
  22. board — to get on
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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