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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · fan · spring · face · net · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. net — in sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bass — low music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — for catching
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. face — to confront
  13. net — after costs
  14. spring — a coil
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cue — a signal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. 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