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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. scale — in music
  6. current — of water
  7. pop — music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. press — to push
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — newspapers
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pop — soda
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — the vegetable

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