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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pop — soda
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — wild animals
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pop — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — a line
  12. rock — music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — in music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. game — a match
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lie — to recline
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. date — on the calendar

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