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 · march · arm · shower · net · calf · perch · cabinet

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. march — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — rain
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. net — for catching
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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