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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. shower — to wash
  4. swing — to play on
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. shower — rain
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lean — to bend
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — thin
  24. race — the arms race

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