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: bat · tube · rush · arm · temple · swing · jam · chest

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tube — a container
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chest — a box
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chest — of your body

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