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: arm · clip · pit · craft · lie · pitch · game · charge

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. clip — to cut
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — a price
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. game — a match
  22. clip — for paper
  23. craft — a skill
  24. clip — a video

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