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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. scale — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. charge — in control
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. shower — to wash
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitch — completely
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — the season
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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