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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. land — ground
  3. present — there
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bass — low music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — a country
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mate — to breed
  17. land — to come down
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rock — a stone
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wound — an injury

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