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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — of a king
  6. rule — government
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. snap — to click
  9. court — of law
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rule — a law
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bass — the fish
  19. foot — a measure
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. court — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

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