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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — in music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. last — final
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pop — music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. last — to go on
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pound — a weight
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. last — finally
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bear — the animal

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