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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. root — of a word
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mark — a grade
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — obliged
  18. shower — rain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. firm — a company
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. root — of a plant

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