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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mug — a face
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. present — a gift
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mug — to rob
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. file — a line of people
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. file — a document
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cell — in biology
  15. present — there
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bass — the fish

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