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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. clip — to cut
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. clip — a video
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — a series
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. nail — for a hammer

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