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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — the season
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mine — an explosive

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