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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. present — a gift
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bass — the fish
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. present — the time now
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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