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 116 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: bass · net · spell · shower · dip · bark · sharp · stand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. net — for catching
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — the fish
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. net — after costs
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bass — low music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spell — letters
  13. net — in sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. shower — rain
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. shower — to wash

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