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: cap · tear · hide · swing · saw · fine · bass · band

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bass — the fish
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tear — to rip
  8. band — a ring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. swing — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a music group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — low music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fine — high quality

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