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 120 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: hand · kick · pound · bass · court · drill · leaves · dip

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bass — the fish
  3. court — of a king
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. kick — in football
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. drill — army training
  16. bass — low music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hand — in cards
  20. drill — a practice
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for 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