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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — letters
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spell — magic
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. net — in sport
  9. bass — low music
  10. rock — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. net — for catching
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a lid
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — to recline
  21. net — after costs
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chair — a leader

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