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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tube — the underground
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pop — music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — soda
  11. scale — in music
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. staff — a stick
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tube — a container

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