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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. present — there
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mine — for digging
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. present — a gift
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — a weight
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — a match
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. present — the time now
  24. leaves — of a tree

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