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: bulb · cue · wake · march · net · rush · bass · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. net — in sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — low music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a hint
  24. march — 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