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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bound — tied together
  4. net — in sport
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. firm — steady
  8. bulb — for light
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — decided
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — a company
  15. bass — low music
  16. bound — certain
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the fish
  22. net — for catching
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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