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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. swing — music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — the time now
  6. rush — hurry
  7. swing — to play on
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. swing — in golf
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tear — to rip
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. shower — rain

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