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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bound — certain
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pop — soda
  6. spring — the season
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spring — of water
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bound — obliged
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a trace

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