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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pass — a permit
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cell — a phone
  8. shower — rain
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fine — all right
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bass — low music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — high quality
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cell — in biology

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