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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. spell — letters
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spell — magic
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bank — for money
  16. chest — of your body
  17. current — electric
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — of water
  24. pound — for dogs

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