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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. capital — a city
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fall — to drop
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. clip — to cut
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rule — government
  20. clip — a video
  21. fall — the season
  22. capital — money
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mouse — the animal

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