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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. net — after costs
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bass — low music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cue — for pool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the sport
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cue — a signal

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