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: lie · bank · pop · prune · wake · march · chip · wound

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wound — an injury
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. march — music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — the month
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — to recline

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