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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bass — low music
  3. fall — the season
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bass — the fish
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fall — to drop

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