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 120 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: bass · face · drill · key · chair · arm · club · tube

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tube — a container
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bass — low music
  7. club — for golf
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. club — a group
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — the fish
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — a practice
  18. club — for dancing
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. drill — army training
  24. chair — a leader

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