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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — the fish
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. bass — low music
  8. lean — thin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. court — of law
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. court — of a king
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. court — for sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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