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: fall · present · rash · bass · wind · racket · ground · fan

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — a series
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — low music
  11. present — there
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — the season
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ground — a position

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