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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. object — to protest
  4. content — happy
  5. present — a gift
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. present — there
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. present — the time now
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. object — an aim
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — to shout
  20. club — a group
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — for golf
  24. content — the amount

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