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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stock — goods
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spell — magic
  18. bore — to tire
  19. charge — in control
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — a short time
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — shares

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