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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. present — there
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. row — a line
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mate — a friend
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ruler — a monarch

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