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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wound — an injury
  24. can — a tin

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