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 120 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 · bark · kick · arm · pound · capital · tear · present

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — there
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — a weight
  17. present — a gift
  18. pop — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tear — from crying

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