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 124 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — a weight
  3. row — to paddle
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. row — a line
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hand — in cards
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hand — help
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — farmland
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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