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: wound · bass · squash · fine · racket · bound · mate · shower

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fine — all right
  8. bound — certain
  9. bass — the fish
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bound — tied together
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bass — low music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mate — a partner
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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