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: board · kid · shower · march · firm · pound · rest · hide

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — rain
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. kid — child
  10. march — music
  11. board — to get on
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rest — a break
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — the month
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — a company
  20. shower — to wash
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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