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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — help
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — a weight
  19. snap — to click
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — in cards

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