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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pound — a weight
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — rain
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rash — a series
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. staff — employees
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bass — low music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. scale — in music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. shower — to wash
  24. scale — size or range

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