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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chip — for betting
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pop — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chip — to eat
  14. file — a document
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — soda
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. file — a tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lean — thin
  24. pound — for dogs

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