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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ground — crushed
  4. sharp — clever
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pound — a weight
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. deal — to handle
  10. track — a song
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. kick — in football
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ground — a position
  21. track — a path
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — lets stay

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