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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. net — after costs
  3. bass — the fish
  4. face — to confront
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. firm — a company
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. face — to point toward
  10. net — for catching
  11. shower — to wash
  12. firm — steady
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — decided
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. shower — rain
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. face — part of the head
  24. net — in sport

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