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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. kid — child
  5. face — part of the head
  6. press — to push
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pound — a weight
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wound — an injury
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitch — completely

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