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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lean — thin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. race — a contest
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. court — of law
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — the most important part

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