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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chest — of your body
  8. snap — to click
  9. net — for catching
  10. chest — a box
  11. club — a group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — low music
  14. net — after costs
  15. chest — of your body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rush — hurry

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