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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. swing — in golf
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cold — an illness
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. swing — music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — low music
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. swing — to play on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — for betting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chip — to eat
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. bass — the fish

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