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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. land — a country
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — to get on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. land — ground
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. board — a committee
  11. prune — to trim
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. staff — a stick
  15. land — to come down
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pound — a weight
  21. sharp — clever
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — to wash
  24. prune — to trim

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