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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bound — certain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bass — the fish
  14. shower — rain
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — low music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — a position

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