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: kid · mouse · pitcher · pop · kick · bass · wake · net

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. net — in sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kid — child
  11. net — after costs
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — soda
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — 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