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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bass — low music
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — in music
  5. land — ground
  6. firm — a company
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. scale — size or range
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitch — completely
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bank — of a river
  14. firm — steady
  15. tube — a container
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. land — a country

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