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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. degree — from a university
  5. face — to confront
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fine — all right

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