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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a dance
  9. court — for sport
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. court — of a king
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. kick — in football
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. court — of law
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ball — a round shape

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