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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cue — a hint
  3. row — to paddle
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — a line
  9. object — to protest
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. snap — to click
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. content — the amount
  18. object — an aim
  19. cue — for pool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. spell — a short time
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. object — a thing
  24. content — happy

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