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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spell — magic
  3. board — a committee
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spell — a short time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. board — to get on
  19. hand — help
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spell — letters
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stem — to come from

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