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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. roll — a list
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — the earth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bass — low music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stem — to come from
  19. club — a group
  20. lie — to recline
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — a position
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. roll — on a roll

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