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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. key — for a lock
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ground — crushed
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — child
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ground — the earth
  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