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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a great time
  6. charge — a price
  7. clip — a video
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — for digging
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — a break
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. clip — for paper

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