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: perch · tear · bass · squash · cue · arm · hand · kick

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — in football
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cue — a hint
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — in cards
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hand — help
  17. cue — for pool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tear — to rip
  24. perch — 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