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: club · snap · rush · spring · wound · arm · march · patient

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rush — hurry
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spring — a coil
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spring — of water
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to click
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for golf
  23. march — music
  24. spring — the season

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