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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to click
  5. chair — a leader
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — a weight
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — low music

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