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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. band — a ring
  3. face — part of the head
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. toast — bread
  7. kid — to tease
  8. face — to point toward
  9. last — final
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pound — a weight
  13. face — to confront
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kid — child
  17. last — to go on
  18. rock — music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. band — a music group
  21. rock — a stone
  22. last — finally
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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