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 120 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: ball · mine · bass · pitcher · tear · wake · bowl · mug

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — a football final

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