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: wake · perch · bass · net · foot · stick · rush · cap

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rush — hurry
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — after costs
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wake — a trail
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. perch — the fish
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bass — the fish
  24. foot — part of the body

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