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: pound · chair · wave · staff · bore · row · march · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pound — a weight
  11. roll — a cake
  12. row — a line
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. staff — a stick
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. chair — a leader
  24. march — the month

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