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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bass — the fish
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. bass — low music
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — to protest
  18. rash — hasty
  19. sharp — clever
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bore — to drill
  24. straw — a straw man

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