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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pop — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — the earth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. present — there
  16. pop — soda
  17. row — a line
  18. ground — a position
  19. present — a gift
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. present — the time now
  23. row — to paddle
  24. date — the fruit

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