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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pound — a weight
  3. charge — a price
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — a country
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chest — a box
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. land — ground
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bank — for money
  17. charge — in control
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chest — of your body
  21. land — to come down
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bark — to shout
  24. charge — electricity

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