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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chest — a box
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. race — humankind
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — for digging
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. suit — clothes
  18. race — a contest
  19. scale — size or range
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mine — an explosive

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