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 120 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: hand · fall · bass · mug · bank · perch · bark · arm

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — for money
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fall — the season
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mug — a face
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mug — to rob

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