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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rock — a stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. hand — help
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pound — a weight
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. rock — music

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