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: fan · wound · arm · pitch · fall · fork · bound · bass

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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