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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mate — to breed
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mug — a face
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mug — to rob
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bass — low music
  13. squash — to crush
  14. board — to get on
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. degree — temperature
  17. roll — a list
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. degree — an amount
  23. squash — the sport
  24. board — a committee

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