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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — low music
  9. tube — a container
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spell — a short time
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pound — a weight
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spell — magic
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wave — of the sea

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