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: wake · sharp · rock · pop · spell · chest · roll · suit

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. roll — a list
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rock — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chest — a box
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pop — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pop — soda
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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