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: nail · rest · wave · bass · fall · stick · net · bowl

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fall — the season
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — low music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. net — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fall — to drop

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