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 120 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: kick · tear · trunk · arm · march · pitcher · mine · bass

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. march — music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. kick — in football
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mine — for digging
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. march — the month

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