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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. season — in sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kick — in football
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — a grade
  9. season — of the year
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tube — a container
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chest — a box
  24. wound — an injury

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