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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cell — in biology
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rash — a series
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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