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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. file — a document
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. file — a line of people
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pit — in a race

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