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 116 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: fall · ground · pop · mouse · pound · scale · branch · wave

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pound — a weight
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. pop — soda
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pop — to visit
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fall — the season
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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