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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — low music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a path
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ground — crushed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. present — a gift
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — the earth
  24. arm — a part of something

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