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 120 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 · tube · mark · pitcher · mug · bark · patient · pop

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. tube — a container
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pop — music
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — a trace
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pop — soda
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bark — to shout

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