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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. current — electric
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — certain
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bound — tied together
  24. current — of water

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