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: can · pitch · current · court · pound · shower · roll · stand

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. can — to be able to
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. court — of a king
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitch — completely
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. current — electric
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — rain
  19. roll — a cake
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — happening now
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. court — of law

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