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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — to protest
  11. band — a ring
  12. wind — moving air
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a music group
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitch — completely
  19. object — a thing
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rush — hurry

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