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: snap · fork · bass · rash · mug · fine · bowl · squash

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fine — all right
  4. bass — low music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to click
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mug — a cup
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mug — a face
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rash — a series
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fork — in a road
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mug — to rob

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