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

Word bank: bore · snap · racket · pound · root · tear

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — of a plant
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — to drill
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pound — to hit hard

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