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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pop — to visit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rule — a law
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — soda
  12. snap — to click
  13. lean — thin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — in music
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a lid
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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