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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. band — a music group
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mate — to breed

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