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: leaves · stand · mark · fan · pound · net · rush · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rush — hurry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. net — in sport

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