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: arm · wind · last · pitcher · chip · bound · stick · bark

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. last — to go on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. last — final
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bound — certain
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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