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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. swing — in golf
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — for digging
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — the fish

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