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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. roll — a list
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bass — the fish
  7. roll — a cake
  8. face — to confront
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cold — an illness
  24. saw — the tool

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