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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. field — farmland
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — the time now
  5. field — for sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. current — electric
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — thin
  11. present — a gift
  12. chest — of your body
  13. present — there
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. field — a subject
  21. chest — a box
  22. current — happening now
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chest — of your body

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