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: pop · rule · scale · race · arm · cabinet · bass · mug

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mug — a face
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — low music
  11. scale — in music
  12. rule — government
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. race — humankind
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pop — soda
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rule — a law
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. race — a contest
  24. pop — 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