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: ball · pound · fork · foot · band · tear · bound · wind

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. band — a ring
  6. wind — moving air
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bound — obliged
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. band — a music group
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — certain
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. ball — a dance
  24. band — a rubber band

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