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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — low music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — a container
  9. clip — a video
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bass — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — to sink

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