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 124 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pop — soda
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. pop — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chest — of your body
  17. scale — in music
  18. chest — a box
  19. kick — in football
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. racket — for tennis

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