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: arm · saw · pitcher · rock · wound · season · row · rush

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. row — a line
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. season — in sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rock — 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