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: calf · foot · arm · wound · march · toast · chest · cue

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. march — music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chest — a box
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. march — the month
  23. cue — a signal
  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