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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chest — of your body
  12. game — a match
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chest — a box
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — in music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bank — of a river
  23. scale — size or range
  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