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: calf · face · pound · game · mine · pop · degree · band

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. face — to confront
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pop — music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. face — to point toward
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mine — for digging
  10. face — part of the head
  11. degree — from a university
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. band — a ring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a match
  22. band — a music group
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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