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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. race — humankind
  3. firm — steady
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a music group
  6. court — of law
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bass — low music
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. court — for sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. firm — decided
  18. race — a contest
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. firm — a company

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