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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wound — an injury
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. tube — the underground
  8. race — humankind
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tube — a container
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ball — a dance
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. roll — a list
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pit — in a race

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