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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cap — a lid
  5. capital — money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. shower — to wash
  9. row — a line
  10. pound — a weight
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. firm — a company
  13. row — to paddle
  14. firm — decided
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. shower — rain
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. firm — steady
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bass — low music

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