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 120 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: temple · tear · bulb · pop · clip · pound · rock · ball

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pop — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pop — soda
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. clip — for paper
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pop — to visit
  24. temple — a place of worship

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