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: net · dip · bass · swing · root · press · saw · hand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. root — of a word
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bass — low music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. press — newspapers
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hand — help
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. root — of a plant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. swing — in golf
  21. root — the cause
  22. net — in sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — after costs

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