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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wind — moving air
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. field — for sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. field — a subject
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. row — a line
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — moving air
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — shares
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — farmland

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