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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bass — low music
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bass — the fish
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hand — help
  24. rock — a stone

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