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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. roll — a list
  7. net — for catching
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mine — for digging
  14. net — after costs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. scale — in music
  22. lean — thin
  23. roll — a cake
  24. scale — size or range

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