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: tube · arm · chest · season · mate · pit · rash · content

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rash — hasty
  6. season — in sport
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. content — the amount
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. season — of the year
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rash — a series
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chest — a box
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mate — a friend
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. tube — a container

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