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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — of law
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of a king
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lie — to recline
  18. roll — a list
  19. file — a tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — for sport
  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