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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. present — a gift
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mate — a partner
  7. club — a group
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. present — the time now
  17. foot — a measure
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. present — there
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — soda
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pound — to hit hard

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