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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — the time now
  4. snap — to click
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — there
  14. scale — size or range
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. present — a gift
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rock — a stone

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