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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — army training
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. drill — a practice
  6. face — to confront
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to sink
  13. drill — the tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bass — low music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. prune — to trim

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