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: pop · jam · fork · bass · mark · tear · dip · coach

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — to visit
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mark — a grade
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tear — from crying
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bass — the instrument
  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