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: suit · chest · bat · arm · pitch · row · stem · temple

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chest — a box
  12. pitch — completely
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stem — to come from
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. chest — of your body

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