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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. rock — music
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. last — finally
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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