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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. snap — to click
  10. rash — a series
  11. court — of a king
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. court — of law
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. court — for sport
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cell — a phone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pound — to hit hard

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