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: foot · shower · coach · bass · key · row · lash · bound

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — for a lock
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. shower — rain
  18. key — in music
  19. row — a line
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bound — tied together
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. lash — to lash out

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