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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. can — to be able to
  3. last — final
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spell — letters
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — magic
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. content — the amount
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. last — finally
  18. spell — a short time
  19. content — happy
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. last — to go on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mine — an explosive

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