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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pop — music
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pound — a weight
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bass — low music
  13. game — a match
  14. staff — a stick
  15. march — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pop — soda
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — wild animals

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