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: bass · hide · fine · pitcher · rock · chair · safe · bat

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bass — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bass — low music
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rock — music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. safe — out of danger

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