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 120 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ground — the earth

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