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 120 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: dip · march · kid · nail · pound · deal · mouse · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. march — the month
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kid — child
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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