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: wax · chest · cabinet · suit · club · arm · bat · temple

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chest — of your body
  5. club — for golf
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chest — of your body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cabinet — ministers

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