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 124 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bass — low music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — employees
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wake — a trail
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a city

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