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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. craft — a skill
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. board — to get on
  10. last — final
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — a committee
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — a container
  19. craft — boats
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. last — to go on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — finally

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