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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mine — for digging
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rock — a stone
  14. file — a tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — a series
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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