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: mug · bore · mouse · pound · staff · fall · field · ground

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ground — the earth
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — for sport
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. field — a subject
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — a face
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ground — a position
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ground — crushed

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