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: game · pop · leaves · nail · wound · pound · jam · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — a match
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wound — an injury
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pop — soda
  24. jam — a tight spot

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