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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. present — the time now
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. march — music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mug — to rob
  11. present — there
  12. bark — to shout
  13. march — the month
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. present — a gift

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