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 116 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. club — for golf
  3. lean — thin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. suit — clothes
  6. club — a group
  7. suit — to fit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — help
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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