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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. field — a subject
  3. rock — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rock — a stone
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. field — for sport
  14. rash — hasty
  15. field — farmland
  16. rash — a series
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — low music

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