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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. scale — in music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rash — a series
  12. face — part of the head
  13. capital — money
  14. bound — certain
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bass — low music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. face — to point toward
  23. capital — a city
  24. face — to confront

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