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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. season — in sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. season — of the year
  16. clip — a video
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bark — to shout
  20. clip — to cut
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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