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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kid — to tease
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — soda
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. land — to come down
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. land — a country
  16. charge — electricity
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. wax — to grow
  24. charge — in control

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