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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · rash · bass · sharp · pit · bowl · scale · chest

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rash — hasty
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chest — a box
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rash — a series
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bass — the fish
  19. scale — in music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chest — of your 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