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: bat · hand · squash · bear · bass · mark · hide · can

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — a grade
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bat — for baseball

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