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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. spell — letters
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. race — a contest
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. net — in sport
  11. race — humankind
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. spell — magic
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. net — for catching
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. net — after costs
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ball — a great time

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