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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rash — hasty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wound — an injury
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — for betting
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. game — a match
  19. rash — a series
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — to eat
  22. staff — employees
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — low music

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