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 · tear · object · bowl · shower · scale · chip · hand

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. tear — to rip
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. hand — help
  15. shower — rain
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tear — from crying
  18. scale — in music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — size or range
  21. object — a thing
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — in cards

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