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: chest · lean · hand · rock · arm · object · pitcher · lash

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rock — a stone
  9. object — to protest
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lean — thin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rock — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. object — an aim
  20. hand — help
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pitcher — a jug

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