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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — soda
  13. clip — for paper
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — a weight
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cap — a hat
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cap — a lid
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — music
  23. clip — a video
  24. cap — of ice

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