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 · can · fork · cold · wake · spell · march · object

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. march — the month
  6. wake — a trail
  7. object — a thing
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — magic
  10. object — to protest
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spell — letters
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. march — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. object — an aim
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. march — the month

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