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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cap — of ice
  8. net — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — low music
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rash — a series
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cue — a signal
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. net — for catching

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