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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. band — a ring
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. season — of the year
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — in sport
  11. march — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pop — music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mark — a grade
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. march — the month

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