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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stock — goods
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. row — a line
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — completely
  23. row — to paddle
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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