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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. court — of law
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. drill — a practice
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. court — of a king
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — to rip
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — for sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fine — all right
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bass — low music

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