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: pop · bound · pitcher · degree · bass · firm · game · wind

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pop — music
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — moving air
  8. degree — from a university
  9. firm — steady
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. firm — a company
  15. bass — low music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bound — obliged
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — temperature
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pop — soda
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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