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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pop — music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. file — a tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. kid — child
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rock — a stone
  21. file — a document
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. file — a line of people

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