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: bore · arm · snap · kid · chair · lean · swing · cell

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. snap — to click
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. swing — to play on
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cell — in biology
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kid — child
  14. bore — to tire
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — thin
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bore — to drill
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cell — a phone

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