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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bass — low music
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — to protest
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wax — to grow
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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