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: bat · perch · club · net · tube · band · racket · pitcher

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. perch — the fish
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — for catching
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. club — a group
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. net — after costs
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — in sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bat — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — in a tire

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