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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · calf · pound · race · mouse · content

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. content — happy
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. race — humankind
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. present — the time now
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — videos and posts

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