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 · wind · mug · bass · rush · pit · bat · lean

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — thin
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mug — a face
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bass — low music
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bass — the fish

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