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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. press — to push
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mine — for digging
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chest — a box
  24. calf — a young 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