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: land · rash · fine · calf · bat · track · club · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — a path
  3. land — a country
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. land — to come down
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — a song
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. rash — a series
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. club — for golf
  22. bat — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. land — ground

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