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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. vault — a safe
  10. degree — from a university
  11. tube — a container
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tube — the underground
  21. hand — help
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fan — a supporter

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