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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — crushed
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. current — of water
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — a series
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ground — the earth
  11. deal — to handle
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — a position
  21. current — electric
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. current — happening now

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