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: fine · spell · can · row · bass · pop · drill · stem

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. spell — letters
  4. can — to be able to
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fine — all right
  7. can — a tin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pop — music
  11. row — a line
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — army training
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pop — to visit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. drill — a practice

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