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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bass — low music
  3. land — a country
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the fish
  7. land — ground
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. land — to come down
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. can — to be able to
  16. march — music
  17. row — a line
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

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