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: key · prune · last · bass · rule · chest · dip · arm

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rule — a law
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rule — government
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. last — finally
  11. key — for a lock
  12. last — final
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. dip — to sink
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — a box
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bass — low music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. key — the most important part

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