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 · pop · rock · file · coach · toast · mate · kick

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pop — to visit
  7. toast — bread
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rock — music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pop — soda
  15. file — a tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — in football
  18. pop — music
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. file — a document
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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