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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — a face
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fork — in a road
  23. game — a match
  24. mug — to rob

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