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: pitch · pound · current · wind · lash · tube · bass · bark

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. current — happening now
  3. bass — low music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. current — electric
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wind — moving air

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