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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mate — a friend
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mate — to breed
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rush — a thrill

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