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: fine · game · fork · lean · bay · spell · chest · bass

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lean — thin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bass — the fish
  12. game — wild animals
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chest — a box
  16. fine — all right
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. game — a match
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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