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: club · rash · bass · stick · mouse · bowl · patient · tube

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. club — a group
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. club — for dancing
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for golf
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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