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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pop — soda
  24. wax — to grow

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