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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — letters
  7. bass — low music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — for catching
  10. lie — to recline
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. net — after costs
  14. race — the arms race
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. race — humankind
  21. spell — magic
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — a contest
  24. net — in sport

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