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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. present — there
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. present — a gift
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mate — a friend
  18. present — the time now
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pound — for dogs

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