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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — all right
  3. pound — a weight
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. file — a document
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mouse — the animal

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