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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. scale — size or range
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — to come down
  7. march — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. firm — steady
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. scale — in music
  18. bass — low music
  19. march — the month
  20. land — a country
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. land — ground
  23. firm — a company
  24. snap — to click

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