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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — an aim
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. march — the month
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — to protest
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spring — a coil
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — the season

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