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: rash · perch · deal · date · fine · wind · tube · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rash — a series
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — the underground
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — a container
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fine — all right

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