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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pop — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bowl — to roll

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