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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — to visit
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pop — music
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cue — for pool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pop — soda
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. face — to confront
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. scale — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cue — a hint
  24. face — to point toward

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