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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bass — low music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rash — hasty
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rash — a series
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. club — for dancing
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. club — a group
  23. bank — of a river
  24. club — for golf

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