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 · can · net · field · squash · lie · safe · trunk

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — low music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — a subject
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — a tin
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. squash — the sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — in sport

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