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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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 — for dogs
  2. bass — low music
  3. cell — a phone
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. craft — boats
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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