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: mate · pound · wind · toast · chip · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wind — moving air
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chip — for betting
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a partner

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