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: lash · pound · bark · chip · stand · pitcher · mate · shower

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  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