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: sharp · bass · can · bulb · jam · scale · row · band

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — to be able to
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. scale — size or range
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. row — to paddle
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bass — the fish
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. sharp — clever
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bulb — for light

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