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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. club — for dancing
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bulb — for light
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. tear — to rip
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bulb — for light

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