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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. content — the amount
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — a short time
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a match
  20. spell — magic
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. content — videos and posts

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