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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ball — a dance
  5. kid — child
  6. bass — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. march — the month
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rule — a law
  22. march — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. kid — to tease

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