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: bass · stem · court · arm · race · perch · pitcher · object

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. race — a contest
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. race — the arms race
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. court — of law
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bass — low music
  16. object — a thing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — for sport
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. race — humankind
  23. perch — the fish
  24. object — an aim

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