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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — the fish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bass — low music
  24. rash — a series

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