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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. last — to go on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — for catching
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. net — after costs
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — final
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pound — a weight
  16. net — in sport
  17. last — finally
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hand — in cards
  24. deal — to handle

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