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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bass — the fish
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. snap — to click
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. squash — to crush
  24. chair — a professorship

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