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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. prune — to trim
  3. march — the month
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. march — music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. shower — rain
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fall — the season
  19. game — a match
  20. march — the month
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pass — a permit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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