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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ground — crushed
  3. current — of water
  4. ground — the earth
  5. chest — of your body
  6. current — electric
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. current — happening now
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chest — a box
  13. vault — a safe
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bat — the animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chest — of your body

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