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: pit · arm · wound · rush · pop · chest · club · rest

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. club — for golf
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chest — a box
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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