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 116 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 · last · wave · present · drill · rest · pound · root

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. last — to go on
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rest — a break
  5. drill — a practice
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — the time now
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bass — the fish
  13. drill — the tool
  14. present — there
  15. drill — army training
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — a weight
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — final
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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