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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. spell — magic
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wake — a trail

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