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 · swing · mouse · craft · bay · cap · chest · hand

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. swing — music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cap — a lid
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hand — help
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cap — of ice
  24. craft — boats

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