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: nail · cell · chest · toast · arm · cold · bay · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chest — a box
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — an aim
  9. cold — not warm
  10. chest — of your body
  11. object — a thing
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cold — an illness
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. toast — bread

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