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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — a face
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — a friend
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mug — a cup

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