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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. can — to be able to
  12. perch — the fish
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rule — a law
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. can — a tin
  24. club — for dancing

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