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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mug — a face
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — low music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. club — a group
  24. cell — in biology

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