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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — to grow
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — steady
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tear — to rip
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — low music

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