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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — a hat
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — child
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pound — a weight
  9. track — a path
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hand — help
  13. drill — army training
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kid — to tease
  24. track — a song

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