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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — low music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. net — for catching
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cold — not warm
  15. net — after costs
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bore — to tire
  21. net — in sport
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mine — for digging

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