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: kid · scale · sharp · ruler · object · arm · present · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. present — a gift
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — a phone
  8. kid — child
  9. present — the time now
  10. scale — in music
  11. object — to protest
  12. sharp — clever
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. scale — size or range
  24. present — there

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