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: fork · last · arm · bass · racket · object · rash · chair

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. object — to protest
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. last — to go on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — a series
  11. object — a thing
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rash — hasty
  15. object — an aim
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. last — finally
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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