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: pop · rash · deal · bank · wound · march · club · object

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — a thing
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. club — a group
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bank — for money
  17. march — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. object — to protest
  21. pop — soda
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pop — music
  24. object — an aim

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