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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — a container
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — to drill
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — decided
  20. pop — soda
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. net — after costs
  24. bass — the fish

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