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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spell — magic
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spell — letters
  7. court — of law
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spring — the season
  13. bass — the fish
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — of water
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — for sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. court — of a king
  24. lash — an eyelash

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