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: ball · temple · calf · current · file · bat · bay · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ball — a dance
  6. file — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a document
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. current — of water
  22. file — a line of people
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. current — electric

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