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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. snap — to click
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. vault — a safe
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. foot — a measure
  18. track — to keep track
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a path
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. track — a song

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