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: snap · rash · arm · racket · season · bass · mine · pound

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pound — a weight
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to click
  16. rash — hasty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rash — a series
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mine — belonging to me

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