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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. branch — a division
  5. pop — soda
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bass — low music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. file — a document
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mate — to breed
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. content — happy
  18. file — a line of people
  19. content — the amount
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mate — a partner
  22. file — a tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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