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: saw · tube · cue · bear · root · net · kid · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — a container
  4. net — for catching
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. net — after costs
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kid — child
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. root — the cause
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — for pool
  20. root — of a word
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bear — the animal

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