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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — in music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. track — to keep track
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. track — a path
  13. vault — a safe
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. toast — bread
  16. kid — child
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. track — a song
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. toast — the most admired

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