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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. charge — a price
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. charge — electricity
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — low music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. charge — in control
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hand — help

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