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: date · bear · game · bass · leaves · net · cabinet · band

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. net — in sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. bass — low music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bass — the fish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. game — a match
  18. net — for catching
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a ring

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