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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pop — music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — a box
  8. lean — thin
  9. present — there
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — to tire
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — the time now
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. present — a gift

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