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: lean · bass · pound · fan · bound · date · wake · rash

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — low music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — thin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bound — certain
  22. rash — a series
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bound — tied together

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