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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bass — low music
  7. kid — child
  8. ground — crushed
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mug — a face
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mug — to rob
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rock — a stone
  24. arm — a part of something

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