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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — the fish
  3. last — finally
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. band — a music group
  7. last — final
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a ring
  22. last — to go on
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rest — a break

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