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 120 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bass — low music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. tube — a container
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. clip — a video
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fan — to cool the air

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