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: chair · snap · bass · stem · safe · trunk · ruler · pitcher

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. snap — to click
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — 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