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: pitcher · band · root · pass · temple · pop · foot · pound

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a word
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pop — soda
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pound — a weight
  16. band — a ring
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pass — a permit
  22. root — the cause
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. band — a rubber band

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