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: kick · hide · chip · band · ball · rest · fork · pound

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a music group
  4. rest — a break
  5. band — a ring
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pound — a weight
  23. chip — to eat
  24. kick — in football

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