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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cell — in biology
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pop — soda
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. ground — crushed
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cell — a phone
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mate — a friend
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. jam — a tight spot

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