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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. staff — a stick
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bound — certain
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spring — of water
  9. bound — tied together
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bound — obliged
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — soda
  14. cap — a lid
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — the season
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. staff — employees
  23. pop — music
  24. pound — a weight

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