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: foot · hand · wound · bass · track · club · spell · deal

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. club — for golf
  3. track — a song
  4. deal — to handle
  5. track — a path
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. club — for dancing
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. club — a group
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spell — magic
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hand — help
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bass — low music
  24. hand — in cards

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