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: track · jam · rest · bass · club · hand · game · press

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. club — a group
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hand — help
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rest — a break
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. club — for golf
  20. track — a song
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bass — low music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. jam — a tight spot

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