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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wound — an injury
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — in a computer

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