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: kick · bore · net · fork · hand · pound · toast · roll

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — in football
  8. bore — to drill
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. toast — bread
  14. hand — help
  15. fork — in a road
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. hand — in cards
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pound — to hit hard

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