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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pound — a weight
  5. club — for dancing
  6. file — a document
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — the most important part
  11. club — for golf
  12. key — for a lock
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. file — a tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — in music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bass — low music
  22. club — a group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a line of people

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