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: root · arm · hand · bass · safe · pitcher · track · bowl

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bass — low music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hand — help
  18. root — of a word
  19. track — a path
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. root — the cause

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