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: board · present · arm · bass · lie · capital · kick · stock

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. present — a gift
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. board — to get on
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. present — the time now
  13. capital — a city
  14. board — a committee
  15. bass — low music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — goods
  19. present — there
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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