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 120 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: ruler · ball · tube · bass · swing · dip · band · fall

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. swing — music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — low music
  16. fall — the season
  17. bass — the fish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ball — a round shape

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