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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — a weight
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. game — a match
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. present — the time now
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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