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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hand — help
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. suit — to fit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pop — to visit
  9. file — a tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. file — a line of people
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. file — a document
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pop — soda
  24. squash — the sport

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