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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. march — the month
  5. mug — a face
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mug — a cup
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. march — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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