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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · wake · sharp · fork · leaves · pitcher · pop · scale

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rule — a law
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — in a road
  20. scale — in music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rule — government

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