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: bound · bay · chest · rash · lash · saw · bass · prune

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rash — a series
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bass — the fish
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chest — a box
  24. lash — to lash out

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