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 120 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: bowl · bound · club · foot · rash · dip · face · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bound — obliged
  6. club — for golf
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. club — for dancing
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bound — tied together
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. face — to confront
  18. club — a group
  19. dip — to sink
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rash — a series
  23. bound — certain
  24. foot — a measure

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