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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spell — magic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spell — letters
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spell — a short time
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bound — certain
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. nail — for a hammer

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