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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — happening now
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. shower — to wash
  5. hand — help
  6. board — to get on
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. current — electric
  10. rest — a break
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. current — of water
  13. board — a committee
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. shower — rain
  24. bound — tied together

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