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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. net — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. net — after costs
  6. land — to come down
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. swing — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mark — a trace
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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