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: bore · pound · fan · track · game · jam · cabinet · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. track — a song
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rock — a stone
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. game — a match
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — a path
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fan — a supporter

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