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 116 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: firm · wake · net · pound · chip · nail · ball · kid

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. firm — steady
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pound — a weight
  12. net — in sport
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kid — child
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. firm — a company
  22. chip — for betting
  23. kid — to tease
  24. net — after costs

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