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: rock · pop · sharp · wound · bulb · pound · fall · kid

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fall — the season
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — child
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pop — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. sharp — clever

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