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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pop — soda
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. key — in music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. hand — in cards
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. hand — help

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