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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. hand — help
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mug — to rob
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — in music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pop — music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mug — a face
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — to visit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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