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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mate — a partner
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — a group
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bank — for money
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. club — for golf
  21. wound — an injury
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pound — a weight

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