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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fine — all right
  14. club — a group
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. shower — rain
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fine — high quality
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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