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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chair — a leader
  6. roll — a list
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rest — a break
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rush — hurry
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. prune — to trim

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