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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. present — the time now
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mark — a trace
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. present — there
  20. mate — a partner
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. present — a gift
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pound — for dogs

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