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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bound — certain
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — the animal
  9. clip — a video
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bound — tied together
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — a weight
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bound — obliged
  22. clip — for paper
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. foot — the bottom

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