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: march · foot · pound · arm · stick · bear · hide · bark

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. march — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hide — to keep secret

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