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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bass — low music

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