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: bass · pitch · present · plane · court · lie · can · file

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — to be able to
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. file — a tool
  5. present — there
  6. bass — the fish
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — of law
  12. lie — to recline
  13. present — the time now
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. court — of a king
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. plane — a tool
  22. court — for sport
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. plane — in geometry

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