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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bound — tied together
  9. scale — in music
  10. bound — obliged
  11. degree — from a university
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. degree — temperature
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. toast — bread
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — a line
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — low music
  24. last — to go on

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