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: prune · file · charge · snap · fall · ball · pop · mouse

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ball — a great time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a document
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. charge — in control
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fall — the season
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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