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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tube — a container
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chest — a box
  24. ground — a position

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