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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — steady
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mate — a partner
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. clip — a video
  15. track — a path
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bass — low music
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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