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: plane · bass · mug · net · pitcher · pit · perch · cell

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mug — to rob
  11. net — in sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mug — a cup
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — for catching
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. perch — the fish
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cell — in biology

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