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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. scale — in music
  3. pop — soda
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cell — a phone
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spell — magic
  13. pop — music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. squash — the sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. nail — for a hammer

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