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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rest — a break
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — in music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. content — the amount
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. root — of a word
  17. content — happy
  18. root — the cause
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — low music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitch — completely

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