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: bass · sharp · game · mate · season · pitcher · scale · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — a match
  9. scale — in music
  10. season — of the year
  11. scale — size or range
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — in sport
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — a company
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. game — wild animals
  23. firm — steady
  24. bass — low music

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