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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pit — in a race
  4. club — for golf
  5. spring — the season
  6. bass — low music
  7. spring — of water
  8. spell — letters
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kid — child
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kid — to tease
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bass — the fish
  17. club — a group
  18. spell — magic
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spring — a coil
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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