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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · pitch · wind · spring · pound · rush · craft · staff

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bass — low music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. craft — a skill
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spring — of water
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spring — the season
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rush — hurry
  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