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 120 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: arm · bass · stick · hand · lean · drill · pitch · degree

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bass — low music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. degree — an amount
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. degree — from a university
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. hand — help
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lean — to bend
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. degree — temperature

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