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: cue · arm · pound · trunk · bowl · leaves · rest · object

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — to protest
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. object — an aim
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — for pool
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — a thing
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of a car

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