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: bass · hand · dip · perch · swing · prune · band · board

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hand — help
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — the fish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — the fish
  10. board — a committee
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. board — to get on
  16. dip — to sink
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. perch — for a bird

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