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: hand · temple · bass · chest · pop · ball · saw · pound

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — help
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pop — music
  10. chest — a box
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chest — of your body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bass — low music
  16. pop — soda
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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