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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ground — a position
  7. row — a line
  8. pound — a weight
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ground — crushed
  11. suit — in cards
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ground — the earth
  15. object — to protest
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. object — an aim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. object — a thing
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wake — a trail
  24. plane — a tool

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