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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pop — to visit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a document
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. spring — the season
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — a position
  16. spring — a coil
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. spring — of water
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — soda
  24. ground — crushed

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