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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — to get on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. board — a committee
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. board — a flat piece

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