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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ball — a dance
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — to protest
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. object — an aim
  12. bass — low music
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mug — to rob
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. object — a thing
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. scale — in music
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — a face
  23. scale — size or range
  24. shower — to wash

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