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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. firm — decided
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. firm — a company
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. march — the month
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to click
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — steady

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