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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fine — all right
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lean — to bend
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pitcher — a jug

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