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: march · arm · straw · hand · dip · cap · pitcher · chip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hand — help
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. march — music
  24. dip — to dunk

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