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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. season — of the year
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bass — low music
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — in sport
  15. last — final
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pit — a hole
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bass — the fish

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