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: game · temple · prune · wound · arm · pit · current · bass

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — a match
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. current — of water
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — low music
  9. current — happening now
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bass — the fish
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — electric
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — side of the head

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