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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pop — soda
  4. band — a music group
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cue — a hint
  14. dip — to sink
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. shower — rain
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a rubber band

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