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: temple · rash · race · bass · bark · mate · jam · squash

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. race — a contest
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bass — low music
  12. rash — a series
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rash — hasty
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bark — to shout

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