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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. swing — to play on
  4. field — farmland
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. field — a subject
  8. cell — in biology
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. scale — in music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. field — for sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — music

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