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: mark · kid · wake · bowl · cold · patient · mug · pop

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pop — music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cold — not warm
  11. kid — child
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mug — a face
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. patient — a sick person

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