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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bass — low music
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. drill — a practice
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — army training
  18. bound — certain
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. plane — a tool
  24. foot — the bottom

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