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: bark · bass · straw · can · date · swing · net · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. net — in sport
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. date — the fruit
  5. swing — music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. swing — in golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bass — low music
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — after costs
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bass — the fish

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