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: foot · mine · arm · cold · deal · rash · board · march

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. march — the month
  6. rash — a series
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. board — a committee
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. arm — a part of something

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