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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — the season
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pop — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rock — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pop — to visit
  20. scale — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rock — to move gently

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