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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. scale — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — low music
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ground — the earth
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — size or range
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — for spectators

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