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: pound · calf · press · racket · rule · hand

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hand — in cards
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — government
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rule — a law
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rule — to rule out

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