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

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — of the year
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wax — to grow
  10. season — in sport
  11. current — electric
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. roll — a cake
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wax — for sculpting

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