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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — to come from
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stem — of a plant

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