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: row · bass · pitch · deal · net · rule · fan · bear

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. row — a line
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rule — a law
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. net — after costs
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bear — the animal

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