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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bass — the fish
  6. clip — a video
  7. race — the arms race
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wake — a trail
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stand — to bear
  13. race — a contest
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — in music
  17. race — humankind
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. clip — for paper
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. clip — to cut

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