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: bass · plane · fine · wound · press · hand · race · net

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bass — low music
  3. net — for catching
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — a contest
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. race — humankind
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. net — in sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — after costs
  24. plane — an aircraft

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