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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. net — after costs
  3. bass — low music
  4. last — finally
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. present — there
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. last — final
  9. bass — the fish
  10. band — a ring
  11. net — in sport
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — a line
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — a gift
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. last — to go on
  21. band — a music group
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitcher — a jug

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