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: mine · bass · suit · pound · roll · rest · bark · pop

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. suit — in cards
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rest — a break
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pop — music
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. roll — a list
  16. bass — low music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. suit — to fit

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