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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. march — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — low music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. net — after costs
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wound — an injury
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a friend

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