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: pop · bat · bank · hand · spring · pound · calf · mouse

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — help
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bat — for baseball

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