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: game · bass · racket · net · can · ball · band · capital

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. net — after costs
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. band — a music group
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. ball — a great time
  12. can — a tin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the fish
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ball — a round shape

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