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 · arm · roll · ground · wound · key · mate · staff

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mate — a partner
  5. roll — a list
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — in music
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ground — crushed
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ground — the earth
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — a position
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. roll — a cake
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — low music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. key — the most important part

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