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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rest — a break
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bank — of a river
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rest — what's left

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