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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. present — there
  3. band — a ring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. last — final
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — a gift
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cue — a hint
  16. present — the time now
  17. band — a music group
  18. prune — to trim
  19. last — finally
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. pop — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — a signal

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