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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wake — a trail
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. content — happy
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pop — music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mate — to breed
  15. content — the amount
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pound — a weight
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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