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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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 — to hit hard
  2. bass — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitch — completely
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — low music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fall — the season
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pound — a weight
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pound — for dogs
  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