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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. key — in music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pit — a hole
  10. shower — to wash
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. band — a ring
  13. pit — in a race
  14. key — the most important part
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. band — a music group
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bass — the fish

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