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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. squash — the sport
  7. current — of water
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. squash — to crush
  10. roll — a list
  11. rest — what's left
  12. date — the fruit
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. current — electric
  16. pop — to visit
  17. roll — a cake
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — soda
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. current — happening now
  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