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: arm · bass · chair · drill · perch · mouse · fork · ground

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — a position
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bass — low music
  19. drill — army training
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ground — the earth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — to sit on

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