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: cell · arm · mine · rest · scale · pit · land · object

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. land — a country
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mine — for digging
  5. object — to protest
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — ground
  11. object — a thing
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — a hole
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — to come down
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cell — a phone
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. object — an aim

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