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: bound · swing · bass · stem · calf · ball · arm · march

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — to play on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. swing — in golf
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — music
  11. bound — certain
  12. march — music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bass — low music
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stem — to come from
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — obliged

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