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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. field — a subject
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spell — magic
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. content — happy
  10. field — farmland
  11. roll — a cake
  12. content — the amount
  13. foot — a measure
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. field — for sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ground — a position
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spell — a short time
  23. roll — a list
  24. ground — the earth

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