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: dip · fan · wind · board · pitch · bank · tear · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitch — completely
  10. board — a committee
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — to get on
  24. bank — of a river

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