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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. club — a group
  11. bass — the fish
  12. drill — army training
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. drill — the tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. content — the amount
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bark — to shout
  23. content — happy
  24. club — for dancing

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