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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — a committee
  3. ground — a position
  4. face — to confront
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. face — part of the head
  13. ground — the earth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wind — moving air
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. board — to get on

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