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: dip · fork · racket · spell · rush · perch · pound · race

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. race — humankind
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — a contest
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. race — the arms race
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fork — in a road
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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