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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hand — help
  3. pop — soda
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — a line
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pop — to visit
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rock — music
  22. pop — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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