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 120 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: pound · wind · row · pitcher · wake · stand · bank · spell

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. row — a line
  3. wind — moving air
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — letters
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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