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: mouse · wind · dip · key · tube · march · mug · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mug — a cup
  12. march — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mug — a face
  19. tube — the underground
  20. dip — to sink
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tube — a container

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