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 · ball · track · fan · band · leaves · mug · file

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — to rob
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. band — a music group
  24. bass — low music

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