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

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — the underground
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — a container
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. row — a line
  15. pop — to visit
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — soda
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. snap — to click
  23. pop — music
  24. can — a tin

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