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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. perch — the fish
  5. clip — a video
  6. tube — the underground
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. squash — the sport
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — a container
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. squash — the vegetable

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