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: bass · jam · dip · perch · net · wound · fan · spring

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. perch — the fish
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — low music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. net — in sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. net — after costs
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. net — for catching
  19. spring — the season
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — of water
  22. bass — the fish
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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