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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mark — a trace
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — in control
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. calf — a young animal

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