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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — employees
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — the underground
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spell — letters
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tube — a container
  21. fine — all right
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — in football

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