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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. capital — a city
  4. squash — to crush
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — soda
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ball — a great time
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to click
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ball — a dance

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