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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kick — in football
  3. pound — a weight
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. file — a line of people
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rush — to hurry

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