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: spring · foot · perch · last · pound · mug · tear · rest

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tear — to rip
  11. spring — a coil
  12. last — final
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spring — the season
  15. mug — to rob
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — a weight
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — of water
  20. mug — a cup
  21. last — to go on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. last — finally
  24. mug — a face

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