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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. row — a line
  4. shower — to wash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. shower — rain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitch — completely
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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