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: foot · swing · pound · bass · wound · nail · kick · roll

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — music
  5. roll — a list
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. swing — to play on
  8. roll — a cake
  9. swing — in golf
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pound — a weight
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bass — low music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. kick — in football
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. foot — a measure

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