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're almost out of ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. roll — a list
  3. pop — music
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — to visit
  11. staff — employees
  12. roll — a cake
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bat — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mark — a trace
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. prune — to trim

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