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: roll · face · wind · leaves · last · pound · kid · dip

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kid — child
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kid — to tease
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. roll — a list
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. face — to point toward
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. roll — a cake
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. face — to confront

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