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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — all right
  10. capital — money
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — a path
  14. row — a line
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bass — the fish
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — low music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. track — a song
  23. capital — a city
  24. row — a quarrel

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