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 120 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 · perch · mine · dip · mug · drill · wake · arm

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wake — a trail
  6. drill — army training
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mug — to rob
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mine — for digging
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — a weight
  17. dip — to sink
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. drill — a practice
  24. dip — to dunk

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