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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. kid — to tease
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kid — child
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — certain
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitcher — a jug

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