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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. spring — a coil
  10. current — happening now
  11. cap — a hat
  12. spring — the season
  13. bass — the fish
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — of water
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — electric
  24. cap — of ice

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