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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. present — the time now
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. present — a gift
  8. bass — the fish
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bass — low music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. row — a line
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — a container
  20. row — to paddle
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. deal — to handle
  23. present — there
  24. tube — in a tire

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