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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. charge — a price
  4. shower — rain
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. swing — to play on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. charge — in control
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. swing — music
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bowl — a dish

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