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 · spell · craft · deal · land · court · leaves · lean

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lean — thin
  6. court — of a king
  7. spell — letters
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. land — a country
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. land — ground
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lean — to bend
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. craft — a skill
  24. land — to come down

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