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: perch · bowl · wind · jam · branch · sharp · pound · mug

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. branch — a division
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mug — a cup

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