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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. board — to get on
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spell — letters
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hand — help
  19. board — a committee
  20. pop — music
  21. swing — music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pop — soda
  24. hand — part of the body

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