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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. file — a document
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chest — a box
  11. file — a tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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