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: arm · fork · sharp · race · bay · rash · stand · hand

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. race — humankind
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hand — help
  20. stand — to bear
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. sharp — clever

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