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: dip · squash · march · wake · lean · mine · pop · fine

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. march — music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pop — music
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wake — a trail
  13. march — the month
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. march — the month
  19. lean — thin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pop — to visit

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