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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bound — certain
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. track — a song
  18. cue — a signal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. track — to keep track
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. calf — of the leg

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