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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. band — a music group
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. swing — music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. prune — to trim
  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