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 · firm · foot · pound · bark · cold · season · mouse

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — in sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cold — an illness
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. firm — a company
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cold — not warm
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. firm — steady

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