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: dip · charge · mouse · snap · stock · wound · pop · prune

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. snap — to click
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stock — goods
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. charge — in control
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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