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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ground — a position
  7. club — for golf
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — a group
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. club — for dancing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. face — to confront
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. face — to point toward
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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