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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rest — what's left
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. race — a contest
  9. rash — a series
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kick — in football
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. race — humankind
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mate — a friend

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