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: squash · rock · arm · bass · bark · stem · pound · swing

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. swing — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bass — low music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bass — the instrument

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