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 · cabinet · stand · tear · rock · saw · wound

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bass — low music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. arm — a part of something

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