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: kid · fan · stand · pound · ground · spell · foot · bat

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — letters
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ground — a position
  21. spell — magic
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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