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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tear — to rip
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — a partner
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. suit — in cards
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mate — a friend
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ground — a position
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. suit — to fit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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