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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rash — a series
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — of the year
  11. current — of water
  12. bass — low music
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. current — happening now
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. current — electric
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. temple — side of the head

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