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: snap · jam · cell · pitcher · row · race · arm · bass

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cell — in biology
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. snap — to click
  15. race — a contest
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cell — a phone
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitcher — a jug

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