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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. race — a contest
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fork — in a road
  14. race — the arms race
  15. toast — bread
  16. net — in sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — low music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bass — the fish
  22. net — for catching
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. race — humankind

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