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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. last — finally
  5. cell — in biology
  6. last — to go on
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chip — to eat
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rush — hurry

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