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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. ground — crushed
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. present — the time now
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — a path
  12. band — a music group
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fine — all right
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ground — a position
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ground — the earth

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