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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. dip — to sink
  4. game — wild animals
  5. can — to be able to
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. game — a match
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — the animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — an injury

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