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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. swing — to play on
  15. row — to paddle
  16. swing — in golf
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. row — a line
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. swing — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. pass — a permit
  24. arm — part of the body

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