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: court · pitcher · bass · band · bear · lie · jam · scale

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. court — of a king
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a ring
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. band — a music group
  19. scale — in music
  20. bass — low music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — the fish

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