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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rash — a series
  6. fine — all right
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. season — of the year
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tube — a container
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ball — a great time
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. season — to add flavour
  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