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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bass — low music
  3. last — to go on
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. last — final
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — a face
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. last — finally
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wax — to grow

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