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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. present — a gift
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. present — the time now
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bass — low music
  20. present — there
  21. object — a thing
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fork — in a road

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