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: bat · land · coach · rash · pitcher · wax · bound · bass

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — a country
  6. bass — low music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bound — certain
  18. land — to come down
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. land — ground
  24. pitcher — a jug

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