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: tube · perch · sharp · mine · rash · wound · bass · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rash — a series
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — all right
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bass — low music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the fish
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mine — for digging

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