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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. band — a ring
  5. firm — decided
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cell — a phone
  8. chip — to eat
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. band — a music group
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — a weight
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. firm — steady

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