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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. band — a ring
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. march — the month
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pitch — completely
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chest — a box
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a music group
  22. race — a contest
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bass — low music

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