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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — certain
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. file — a tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bound — obliged
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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