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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. firm — steady
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. race — a contest
  16. firm — a company
  17. vault — a safe
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. firm — decided
  21. race — humankind
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rash — a series
  24. pound — a weight

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