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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ball — a dance
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a music group
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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