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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pop — soda
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pop — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mug — a face
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — certain
  24. bore — gave birth

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