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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. object — to protest
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. scale — in music
  12. toast — bread
  13. net — after costs
  14. object — an aim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — for catching
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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