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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. cap — a hat
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. craft — boats
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ground — the earth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ball — a dance
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — music
  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