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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. roll — a list
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chest — a box
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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