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: mug · pop · rock · squash · fine · stick · lie · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mug — a face
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pop — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pop — soda
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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