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 116 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: bass · coach · present · rule · sharp · snap · dip · scale

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — the fish
  5. sharp — clever
  6. scale — in music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rule — a law
  16. snap — to click
  17. bass — low music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. present — a gift
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — government
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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