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: spell · pop · wound · mark · kick · kid · mug · bowl

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kid — child
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. kick — in football
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mug — a face
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pop — soda
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pop — music
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. spell — letters

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