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: wake · kick · straw · rule · craft · bound · foot · pound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. kick — in football
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — a skill
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bound — certain
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rule — government
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rule — a 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