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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. club — a group
  4. bass — low music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rest — a break
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. club — for golf
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive

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