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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bass — low music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. foot — a measure
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — a match

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