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: pop · lie · suit · leaves · drill · spring · rash · bass

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — low music
  6. pop — music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pop — to visit
  11. drill — army training
  12. spring — the season
  13. pop — soda
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. drill — the tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. suit — in cards

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