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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stock — goods
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. row — a line
  19. stock — shares
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bass — the instrument

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