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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bark — to shout
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cap — a hat
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pop — music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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