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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. scale — in music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ground — a position
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. pound — a weight
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pop — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cap — of ice
  17. scale — size or range
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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