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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. last — finally
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bass — low music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — music
  15. net — in sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — final
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pop — soda
  24. last — to go on

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