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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lean — thin
  4. bass — low music
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tube — the underground
  9. club — a group
  10. net — for catching
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tear — to rip
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. tube — a container
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. club — for golf
  24. bass — the fish

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