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: jam · stand · hand · rock · arm · face · bass · date

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bass — the fish
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rock — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rock — a stone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. hand — help
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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