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: fall · suit · clip · toast · foot · pound · cue · mine

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cue — a hint
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. clip — a video
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fall — to drop
  12. clip — for paper
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. clip — to cut
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. toast — bread
  20. cue — for pool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cue — a signal
  24. foot — a measure

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