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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. pop — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spell — letters
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pop — soda
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. scale — in music
  24. track — to keep track

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