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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rock — music
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spring — the season
  10. cue — a hint
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. net — in sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. spring — of water
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rock — a stone
  24. date — the fruit

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