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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. squash — to crush
  8. clip — to cut
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. clip — a video
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. plane — a tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bass — low music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. content — happy
  24. bark — to shout

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