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: bass · bear · fan · pitcher · saw · pit · wind · mark

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — a trace

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