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

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. row — a line
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. net — in sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. net — for catching
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pound — a weight
  16. net — after costs
  17. game — wild animals
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bass — low music
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. board — a committee
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chip — in a computer

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