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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kick — in football
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — magic
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wind — moving air
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tube — a container
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fall — to drop

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