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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — low music
  5. spring — of water
  6. bore — to tire
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. shower — rain
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spring — the season
  24. shower — to wash

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