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 · tube · jam · land · content · chest · wave · can

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chest — a box
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. content — happy
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pound — a weight
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. land — to come down
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. content — the amount
  24. chest — of your body

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