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: pitcher · wave · cell · rule · rock · band · pound · prune

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rule — government
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rock — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — a stone
  15. band — a music group
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cell — a phone
  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