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: row · squash · bear · arm · mouse · race · pitcher · cabinet

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a line
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. row — to paddle
  18. race — humankind
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. squash — to crush

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