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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kid — child
  6. court — of a king
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kid — to tease
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pound — a weight
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wound — an injury
  22. court — for sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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