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 · bear · content · pop · leaves · band · cabinet · bark

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — happy
  16. pop — to visit
  17. band — a ring
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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