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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. object — a thing
  4. tube — a container
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. tube — the underground
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chest — a box
  16. game — wild animals
  17. swing — to play on
  18. game — a match
  19. object — to protest
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. fork — in a road

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