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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cold — not warm
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rest — a break
  6. fine — all right
  7. land — a country
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — to come down
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — music
  18. cold — the Cold War

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