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: ground · bear · pound · wound · foot · rash · straw · deal

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rash — a series
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ground — a position
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. deal — an agreement

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