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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bound — obliged
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. game — a match
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ground — a position
  12. bound — certain
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bound — tied together
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — a series
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. game — a kind of play

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