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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. spring — of water
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to click
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a lid
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rock — music
  19. spring — the season
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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