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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kick — in football
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. last — to go on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — all right
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. wind — moving air
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kick — with a leg

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