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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mug — a face
  3. bass — low music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — a country
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. land — ground
  8. board — to get on
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spring — the season
  15. bear — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — a flat piece

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