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: fine · hand · pop · bore · bass · cell · net · tear

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. net — for catching
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fine — high quality
  6. tear — from crying
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pop — to visit
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fine — all right

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