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

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bass — low music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. net — for catching
  10. current — electric
  11. net — after costs
  12. land — ground
  13. bass — the fish
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — in sport
  18. hide — animal skin

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