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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. firm — decided
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — for sport
  16. rash — a series
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — hasty

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