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: lie · rush · fine · degree · jam · bass · bank · clip

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fine — all right
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. clip — a video
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fine — high quality
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bank — of a river
  19. degree — from a university
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bank — for money

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