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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. last — finally
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — final
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pass — a permit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. snap — to click
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pass — to spend time
  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